Impossibilities
by In The Beginning
Summary: Thirteen hundred years is a long time to wait for a second chance at redemption. Mokou-centric
1. Challenges

(What is this I don't even…

Well, hello everyone. *waves* Relatively new to Touhou, but that doesn't stop the plot bunnies from coming, right?

I've recently re-developed an annoying habit of not finishing anything I start, but let's see if we can't fix that.

All characters © ZUN)

* * *

Impossibilities

Chapter One: Challenges

* * *

The bamboo forest is never quiet anymore.

"_Phoenix Tail!_"

"_Dead of Night!_"

Fire and bullets blast away the bamboo trees, setting the fallen trunks ablaze; they're already growing back by the time the danmaku battlers rise from the explosion, broken and bleeding but far from dead.

Fujiwara no Mokou glares hatefully at her enemy, pulling out amulets that quickly begin to burn.

"Tenacious tonight, aren't you, Mokou?" Kaguya sneers, summoning several familiars to surround her. "You know nothing will change if you kill me again!"

"And the same for you, yet you sought _me_ out this night!" the white-haired girl shouts. "You left Eientei to look for _me_ this time—"

Kaguya's familiars explode in a flurry of blue bullets; just before they strike her, Mokou manages to throw several circles of flaming amulets at the lunar princess. Their deaths are quick and silent this time, but no less painful for them both.

The lunar princess is first to open her eyes, the full moon shining bright upon her as the world spins wildly out of control. Shortly thereafter, she hears Mokou's pained groans as her rival revives herself as well.

"Oh… my head," Kaguya groans, fighting off her dizziness as she forces herself to sit up. "Death is such a hassle… What will it take to stop this?"

"'What will it take to stop this?'" Mokou repeats mockingly, struggling to her feet. "I really don't know, _Princess._ What will it take to make you stop dragging my father's name through the mud? Don't you think a millennia of mocking him is enough?"

"Dragging his name through the mud? I merely put your father in his place!" the princess snaps, leaning against a bamboo tree for support. "For thinking he could fool a Lunarian with a false jeweled branch and a tale—"

"_Fujiyama Volcano!_"

"_Red Stone of Eija!_"

Their voices cry out simultaneously; the resulting explosion from their spells sends them flying apart from each other, setting the nearby trees aflame as their dead bodies fall to the ground.

Mokou is first to resurrect herself; she coughs up blood as she forces herself to sit up, the world slowly coming back into focus.

She sees the lunar princess sit up as well, parts of her black hair burnt down to singed stubs.

"S-Someday… One day, I will defeat you for good," the white-haired girl growls, hissing in pain as she tries to take a breath. "And then the dishonor you cast upon my family will finally be erased!"

"Your father brought dishonor on himself!" Kaguya retorts, too exhausted to summon the danmaku needed to kill her rival again. "He knew exactly what he had to do when he sought my hand, and I would have said nothing if he chose to give up! But instead, he bribed some of his men into making a fake branch… He never even tried to go to Hourai!"

"And neither did you!" Mokou glares. "The jeweled branch you have is real, but you made Eirin bring it back for you. Even the great _Lunarian Princess_ wouldn't go and get her own favorite Divine Treasure!"

For a few brief moments, Kaguya struggles to find an excuse — but Mokou is right; there's no reason she couldn't have gone to Hourai herself. Not when she had the wisdom of the Lunarians and immortality at her side…

But a thought comes to her, and a wicked grin spreads across her face.

"Well then, this can be your chance to regain honor for your father," the Lunarian taunts, brown eyes flashing. "He failed to bring me a branch from Mount Hourai… But you can bring one back to me in his place, if you want. You can take up his trial."

Mokou's breath catches in her chest, eyes widening.

"And if I do that, you'll acknowledge my father's efforts in bringing what you asked for?" she asks, hardly daring to believe.

"I'll even go so far as to say I was wrong for humiliating him for his deception. That's what you want anyways, isn't it?"

Both immortal girls hear approaching footsteps; Mokou feels Keine dragging her back to her feet, while Kaguya sees Eirin standing over her, arm extended.

"Really, Princess, you must find this to be tiring," the Lunarian physician sighs, helping the black-haired girl stand up. "Murder is unbecoming of you both…"

"I thought you said you were going to leave her alone tonight, Mokou!" Keine hisses, draping Mokou's unbroken arm over her shoulder.

"Hey, she came _looking_ for me!" Mokou snaps back, not taking her eyes off the innocent-looking lunar princess. "I was minding my own business and everything… You know that, too! Why do I have to tell you this at all?"

"Forget it. It's not worth the argument right now… Let's just get you out of here. Come on."

With seemingly little effort, the hakutaku picks Mokou up, carrying her through the bamboo forest.

In the last glimpse the white-haired girl catches of Kaguya that night, she sees the same sharp look in the princess' eyes from before.

* * *

"_Ow!_ Is that really necessary?"

"Well, maybe if you and Princess Kaguya would stop killing each other all the time, you wouldn't be breaking or dislocating your bones. The thought _has_ occurred to you, right?"

Mokou scowls, but bites her lip as Keine finishes wrapping up her broken right arm.

"Ever since that night that the shrine maiden came, you and Princess Kaguya have fought _every day,_" Keine continues, shaking her head as she tends to the immortal's wounds. "What would you do if Eirin and I didn't look after you two?"

"Just keep fighting, I suppose," Mokou shrugs. "And don't you dare try to hit me for saying it, you know it's true! You and Eirin have been trying to get us to stop for ages — well, you can see how well it's worked. And that's _with_ your help."

The hakutaku can only bring herself to let out an annoyed sigh, red eyes narrowed as she finishes bandaging the gashes on Mokou's abdomen.

"One day," she mutters, "you two are going to stop fighting. And maybe you won't know what you're going to do with yourselves, but I'm sure that Eirin and I are going to celebrate. The day may even become a holiday in Gensokyo…"

Mokou snorts, but says nothing, even as her friend finishes wrapping her wounds. Her mind is elsewhere at the moment, stuck on a single moment from her fight with Kaguya.

_"I'll even go so far as to say I was wrong for humiliating him for his deception… That's what you want anyways, isn't it?"_

"Here."

She's startled from her thoughts as Keine thrusts a small cup and a shirt towards her.

"Tomorrow I'll go to Eientei and get more medicine from Eirin," the hakutaku says as Mokou takes her shirt back, pulling it over her shoulders before taking the cup filled with bitter medicine. "You're almost out again. It wouldn't _be_ like that if you didn't have to keep healing yourself…"

"Yeah, yeah. Thanks, Keine," the immortal nods briefly, staring into the drink in her hands for a few moments before drinking the medicine.

She feels the fire burning through her body; a sharp hiss escapes her lips as she feels the pain flood throughout her, a feeling more agonizing than death itself. But it quickly passes; with it, the pain from her injuries fades as well, regressing to a dull ache.

She can almost feel the medicine mending her broken bones.

"One would think that if the pain of dying wouldn't stop you from fighting, then the medicine would," Keine shakes her head, taking the cup back from Mokou as the girl buttons up her shirt once again. "But I suppose that if death won't stop you, nothing will, will it?"

She doesn't get the sharp reply she expects; in fact, Keine doesn't get any response at all.

"Mokou?" the hakutaku asks, turning to see the determined look in her friend's dark red eyes.

"Keine, I… I'm leaving on a journey tomorrow. There's … somewhere that I need to go. Something I have to do."

"Tomorrow? Where could you possibly have to go on such short notice?"

"What, you mean you don't already know?" Mokou chuckles faintly, shaking her head. "Some hakutaku _you_ are, Keine, even if you _are_ only half-so."

Keine's eyes flicker briefly before suddenly widening.

"No. _No._ You can't be serious!" she gasps. "It was called an Impossible Request for a reason, Mokou!"

"Keine, this is my _chance!_" Mokou growls, eyes narrowed. "After all these centuries… I can finally get back at Kaguya for shaming my family! I'm not going to let this opportunity pass me by!"

"But… _Mount Hourai!_ Mokou, it isn't even possible to reach Hourai without intervention from the gods. How do you plan on getting there in the first place, let alone back?"

Truth be told, she hasn't thought that far ahead.

"I suppose I'm going to ask Eirin how she got there before I leave, then," the immortal girl shrugs. "She's been to Hourai before, so that means it has to be possible. And she isn't going to deceive me if it means that there's a chance Kaguya and I will stop fighting."

"That may be, but… it doesn't mean that it's wise to go—"

"I have to _try_, at least!"

"Then at _least_ let me go with you!"

"No," Mokou shakes her head, scowling. "Absolutely not. This is something I have to do, and _will_ do, on my own."

"Mokou, you can't—"

"You will _not_ come with me for this."

For several long moments, there is silence in the small house in the bamboo forest.

"…fine, then," Keine growls, storming out of the sitting room and into the study. "Fine! Go alone!"

"W-Wait, what?" Mokou blinks, unused to her friend not putting up a fight. "Hey—Keine, what are you doing?"

When she receives no answer, Mokou gets up from her chair, following after the hakutaku.

Keine is sitting at the table, furiously scribbling out notes on parchment.

"Keine… What are you doing?" the immortal girl asks, leaning against the doorway.

"I'm writing your future history," Keine snaps, not looking up from her work.

"…Mount Hourai is in the outside world," Mokou frowns, stuffing her hands in her pockets. "I thought you couldn't change the history of the outside world."

"I can't. But if you shut up and let me work…. Then I can write a history where you come back to Gensokyo. And I don't have much time left to do it, so unless you're going to change your mind, then get out of here and go to sleep! …You're going to have a busy day tomorrow."

Mokou can't help but smile faintly, even as her friend continues working.

"Alright, then," she says, turning to leave. "Good night, Keine."

"…good night, Mokou."

It's the only time for the rest of the night that the hakutaku looks up, when she watches Mokou leave the room.

* * *

(End chapter one.

Blaaagh I always feel like my chapter ones suck. Hopefully this one did less so than my earlier works.

Please review!)


	2. Departures

(Thank you for the reviews so far!

Because I have a deviantART account as well as an one, I uploaded this chapter to both. I also made an interesting discovery: will delete ending punctuation sometimes, but it's easier to forget italics tags on dA.

Clearly this just means I need more practice.

Also, quick thing I wanted to point out: I _did_ make mention in chapter one that it was the night of the full moon. It was a very small mention in the first half, but it was there. Because even though I'm going to end up failing so bad at it, I'm going to at least _try_ to stay somewhat close to canon.

Let's see how long that lasts!

Characters © ZUN)

* * *

Impossibilities

Chapter Two: Departures

* * *

Keine never thought before that a morning could pass so slowly. She's only been teaching for half an hour, and yet even she is ready to take a break, to say nothing of her class.

Even so, she keeps working, carefully explaining the history of the Saigyou Ayakashi as best she can to the students.

"And so, to stop the Saigyou Ayakashi from blooming and killing again, the last living member of the Saigyouji clan sacrificed herself," Keine explains, watching her students write down everything she says. "Since then, the tree has never come to full blossom. Does anyone here know who sealed the Saigyou Ayakashi?"

For a few moments, the classroom is uncomfortably quiet.

"Um…" Rumia begins, raising her hand tentatively. "Is it Lady Yuyuko? From the Netherworld?"

"That's right," the teacher nods, smiling before turning to write more notes and dates on the blackboard. "It was Lady Yuyuko. And she sealed the tree about a thousand years before the Hakurei Border—"

The sharp knock on the open door makes everyone turn around to see who the visitor is.

"Oh, it's Miss Fujiwara!" several of the students cheer, instantly recognizing the white-haired girl in the doorway. "Has she come to tell us stories again, Miss Kami—?"

"No, no stories today," Mokou interrupts, shaking her head before looking directly at Keine. "Is now a bad time?"

"No, of course not… Everyone, why don't you go outside for a little while? I need to talk with Miss Fujiwara."

Excitedly, the class closes their notebooks, dashing for the door with much enthusiasm.

As soon as they're all outside, Mokou walks in, looking around absently.

"How are you feeling?" Keine asks, making herself stay calm.

"Alright, I suppose," the immortal girl shrugs, choosing to look out the window. "My wounds are healed, so I'm not in any physical pain. …But that's not what you're really asking, is it?"

The teacher sighs, shaking her head.

"I'm going to do this," Mokou frowns, finally bringing herself to look at her friend. "I _have_ to."

"Yes, I remember our conversation from last night," Keine snaps before taking a deep breath. "…sorry. It's just… I can't protect you if you go by yourself. And that bothers me."

The white-haired human sighs, bringing a hand up to rub the back of her neck.

"Keine, it's been over a thousand years since I've been to the outside world," she begins. "Everything I've done — nobody there is going to remember it. Nobody is going to remember me. As long as I don't draw attention to myself, the humans out there are not going to be a threat to me."

"But Mount Hourai might be," Keine protests.

"That's why I'm going to ask Eirin about Mount Hourai before I leave. So I can predict if there's going to be a problem."

After almost a minute of silence, Keine sighs, shaking her head slowly.

"Alright, then. You… Be careful, Mokou. You may have drunk the Hourai Elixir, but that doesn't mean that something can't happen."

The immortal girl cracks a small grin.

"You gave up a lot sooner than I thought you would this time," she comments.

"Well, why should I keep trying to argue with you? You've made your decision to leave, and I already know you're coming back!" Keine scowls, brown eyes flashing indignantly. "So go on and hurry up, so I have to spend less time waiting for you to return!"

Mokou laughs, turning and walking out of the classroom with a smile on her face.

_She's so sure she'll fulfill the Impossible Request,_ Keine sighs after her friend has left. _…Well, with her motivation, maybe she will._

* * *

When Mokou arrives at Eientei to look for Eirin Yagokoro, she starts to wonder if this is a good idea after all.

_Somehow, I get the feeling I'm going about this wrong,_ she thinks to herself, quietly walking through the front gate and finding herself in the courtyard. _I wonder if maybe I should ask someone else… But there's no one else who—_

"It seems a bit early for you to be looking for Princess Kaguya, doesn't it?"

Startled, Mokou whirls around to see who snuck up on her… to find herself looking up at Eirin herself.

"E-Eirin? N-No, I — I'm not looking for Kaguya right now," the immortal girl informs, quickly forcing herself to get over her shock.

"Oh? Then who are you looking for? There isn't anyone here with you, so you can't have brought someone from the Human Village here…"

"I… I came here to look for you, actually. I need your help."

At this, Eirin raises an eyebrow, an amused smile playing at her lips.

"You need _my_ help? I never thought I would hear you say such a thing," the Lunarian remarks. "What ever is this world coming to?"

"Stop that!" Mokou snaps, shoulders tensing as she scowls. "Stop talking to me like I'm a fool! I have a serious problem I need help with. I didn't come here to be treated like an idiot; I came here for your advice!"

She wasn't expecting Eirin to be surprised at all by her outburst, so when the Lunarian's eyes flash momentarily, Mokou finds herself briefly taken aback.

"Yes… You're right. You aren't a fool… My apologies. I didn't intend to offend," Eirin nods slowly, her expression softening. "What is it you came to ask me about?"

Mokou sighs, relaxing a little.

"…I'm going to Mount Hourai. In my father's place," she finally says, locking her eyes with Eirin's.

"Oh, goodness… Then yes, you will need my help. Let's discuss it over tea; this will take a while. Come, come…"

* * *

Reimu Hakurei is napping in her shrine when the afternoon rolls around.

Luckily for Mokou, Yukari Yakumo visits at the Hakurei Shrine at the same time that she arrives — so the immortal girl asks her to create an opening in the Hakurei Border instead.

"You want to go to the outside world? You don't miss it, do you?" the blonde youkai asks, lips curved into a teasing grin. "I've never heard of a human that moved to Gensokyo wanting to go back to the outside world…"

"Trust me, I'm much happier living here than out there," Mokou shakes her head, keeping her voice low to avoid waking the sleeping shrine maiden. "But I have to go anyways. If I can get something from out there, then… then I can get my revenge on Kaguya I can get her to admit she was wrong."

"Oh, really? Well, if that's the case, come with me."

The immortal girl follows Yukari through the shrine, into the cherry tree grove. This late in the spring, the blossoms have already fallen off and blown away, but the other trees shade the garden from the sun.

"Let's see," Yukari mutters to herself, stopping abruptly as she looks around thoughtfully. "I know there's a weak spot around here somewhere…"

Mokou can only see the rest of the shrine's small garden, but supposes that, as youkai of such, Yukari can see the boundary of Gensokyo.

"Does the border look any different from the normal sky?" she finds herself asking.

"Only when there's a weak spot. Then, there's a sort of… Ah! Here it is," the youkai suddenly announces, taking a few steps forward and almost swatting at the air from the top of her height down to the ground.

In her hand's wake, a purple hole appears, red eyes staring out from it.

"Er… Are those eyes always there?" Mokou asks, looking at the boundary uneasily.

"Oh, they aren't looking at you," Yukari smiles, twirling the parasol resting on her shoulder. "They're just watching the border to make sure it stays strong."

"That doesn't make it any less disturbing."

"Don't be so worried. The best way to travel is by boundary! And in any case, it's the only way you'll be getting to the outside world safely. Unless you'd like to take your chances with the gaps in the border on the Youkai Mountain…"

Mokou grimaces, quickly deciding that red eyes staring back at her are less of a hassle than fighting swarms of youkai. She approaches the boundary, hesitating briefly before sticking her arm through it.

It disappears into the purple haze.

"Yes, just like that," Yukari nods, seeing the human's confused expression. "You just go through to the other side."

"Um, alright…"

Bracing herself for the something she expects to happen, Mokou steps through the boundary, disappearing from Gensokyo.

* * *

(End chapter two.

This took a lot longer than I thought it would… I literally wrote the chapter, then deleted and rewrote about 80% of it. It's shorter now from it, but it's also better, I think.

Please review!)


	3. Travels

(My friend calls what I do for the timeline a "cop out." I call it "being extremely creative."

Taking creative liberties is a wonderful thing, after all!

Mokou, Eirin © ZUN)

* * *

Impossibilities

Chapter Three: Travels

* * *

_"What exactly do you wish to know about Mount Hourai?"_

_ With the tea brewing, Eirin sits at the table as well, looking across at Mokou._

_ "Honestly, everything you can tell me," Mokou replies, leaning back in her chair. "Right now, though, I suppose my first question would be how to get there. I've never heard of anyone from Gensokyo going to Hourai…"_

_ "That's because it's one of the few places inaccessible from Gensokyo," the Lunarian explains. "Mount Hourai can only be reached by traveling through the outside world, and into the realm of their gods."_

_ "So… I'll have to leave Gensokyo. I thought as much from the beginning. How do I reach Hourai from the outside world, then?"_

* * *

"….ungh…"

Mokou groans, red eyes opening slowly as she comes back to her senses.

"Ngh… ow. My head," she mutters, slowly sitting up and looking around. "What happened? Where am I…?"

As soon as the question leaves her lips, she remembers.

"That's right," she tells herself, standing up. "That's right; I'm here to go to Mount Hourai. I'm here to… to…"

She pauses.

"…oh, gods… I'm back here. I'm back outside of Gensokyo," Mokou gasps, looking around. "This is the outside world again…!"

All around her, small shrubs sparsely cover the rocky mountainside. Further down the slope, she can see the dusky green of pine trees that seems to carpet the ground below, almost black in color as the crimson sunset sky overpowers all the other colors.

"I'm… here again," Mokou repeats to herself, eyes wide as she takes in the sights. "Oh, it's been so long… it—"

She hears something falling to the ground behind her, and turns to see what it is.

The purple boundary has just sealed itself; Mokou catches the last faint traces of the violet boundary before it vanishes. Below where it had been, there's a small scroll.

It rests on the steps leading to the old shrine.

"That's… That's the Hakurei Shrine," the immortal girl mumbles, eyes still wide as she goes to pick up the fallen scroll. "But from the other side of the border. I didn't think I'd ever see it from here — from…"

Shaking her head, she forces herself to stop rambling, instead picking up the scroll and opening it.

It's a calendar.

Mokou's eyes widen when she reads the date.

"I'm seeing it from _1885!_ What the hell?" she shouts, her expression twisting into one of confusion and anger. "Last time I checked, Gensokyo had been around for more than a year—!"

As she opens the scroll a little further, a scrap of paper falls out, fluttering to the ground and landing on her shoe.

"Huh?" the immortal girl blinks, pausing before picking it up.

She doesn't recognize the handwriting, but given that it's written in violet ink, she quickly figures out who wrote it.

_Mokou,_

_Sorry about sending you back to the creation of the Border. But it was easier to make a gap in the boundary between the two worlds then — and besides, you know what this world is like in this time. That should make things easier for you!_

_ In any case, I've left you this calendar that's been lying around for a while. When you get back to the shrine from whatever it is you're going to do, mark the date that you've returned. If you leave the calendar right in the shrine's entrance, it'll fall right back into Gensokyo, and I can open a new boundary for you._

—_Yakumo Yukari_

"Oh, so you _meant_ to send me back in time," Mokou growls, stuffing the note in her pocket before rolling up the scroll. "As if it wasn't enough a big enough ordeal that I have to come back at all…"

Shaking her head, she turns to look out at the setting sun.

The sky and clouds take on the same crimson tint as the sun.

"…still… It's nice to be back, if only for a while," she admits, letting a smile appear on her face. "It's been so long since I even left the bamboo forest, let alone Gensokyo…"

For a few long moments, Mokou watches the sunset, memories of her mortal life slowly coming to the front of her mind.

"…I should get going," she finally tells herself, looking at the scroll in her hand and around her before wedging it underneath a nearby boulder. "My task isn't going to complete itself."

With that, Mokou turns her back to the sun and the shrine, beginning to walk down the east side of the mountain and towards the rising moon.

* * *

_"What exactly do you mean, the path is opened by 'supernatural phenomena'? That's a pretty vague phrase, you have to admit."_

_ Eirin pours two cups of freshly-brewed tea, handing one of them to Mokou before sitting down with the other._

_ "The outside world, as I'm sure you know, has certain laws, certain… facts to its existence," the Lunarian explains, watching as the immortal girl sips her tea. "There are certain ways the world can turn, certain things that can happen in nature. A supernatural phenomenon, then, would be something happening that defies those laws. Do you like the tea?"_

_ "It's very… strong," Mokou comments, biting her lip. "But yeah, it's nice. What's in it?"_

_ "Jasmine and suzuran."_

_ "Just because I can't die doesn't mean you should poison me!"_

_ "I promise you, the tea is harmless to _anyone_ who drinks it."_

_ It still takes a while for the scowl on Mokou's face to fade away._

_ "…in any case," she finally grumbles, trying to bring the discussion back to its original topic. "If something unnatural happens, it opens the way to Mount Hourai? Would my just _being_ in the outside world count, then? After all, you can't really call an eternal existence 'natural', can you?"_

_ "Indeed," Eirin nods, finally taking a drink of her own tea. "You and Princess Kaguya both exist in a reality that should never have coincided with this one. Not even the gods can do anything to you anymore. With that being the case, I would say that you returning to the outside world would open the gate to Hourai again…"_

* * *

She makes it to the foot of the mountain while the moon is still rising in the sky.

"Now I remember why I learned to fly," Mokou grumbles, stopping to shake the rocks out of her shoes yet again. "Ow…"

Still, she can't say she's surprised that in this world, she's ground-bound. Eirin had warned her about the "corruption" of the outside world — that the only reason magic was still possible in Gensokyo was because the Hakurei Border trapped all of its magic inside.

Not that Mokou had been planning to use her magic at all. A thousand years is a long time, but not enough to make the memories of the witch-hunts for her fade away.

Shaking her head, she forces those thoughts away.

_I have bigger problems to worry about right now,_ she tells herself, putting her shoes back on. _Like getting to the coast, for instance. Now…_

Looking up to the sky, she can see the waning moon even through the thick foliage of the trees.

_If I keep heading east without stopping, I should reach the coast in a day or two. If I don't get lost, that is… But that's solved easily enough._

Looking down at her hands, Mokou concentrates, trying to summon just enough power to immerse her hands in fire.

She gets a few small sparks before a tiny, useless flame burns feebly in her palm.

"Useless," she growls, abandoning her attempts to use magic. "Eirin wasn't kidding when she said that the outside world lost its magic after the Border was created. So how am I supposed to mark my path now…?"

Looking around near her feet, Mokou finds a sharp rock not too far away. She goes to pick it up, then turns to face the nearest tree.

As quickly as she can, she carves the characters for her first name into the bark.

"There," she nods, pleased with her handiwork. "Thankfully, no trees grow as fast as those in the bamboo forest… Alright, then. Now that I can mark my path, I should keep going. The sooner I get to the shore, the faster I can get this task over with!"

With that, she continues on into the night, marking the trees as she goes.

* * *

(End chapter four.

Blaaaah, I have so much going on right now. I'm working on this story, I've got a comic I'm working on (that vaguely resembles "Super Touhou Brawl" — long story), I've got other stories on the mind, I'm having a confidence crisis, I'm going back to college on Monday…

In short, my brain is fried, but I'm trying to jumpstart it again so I can resume bringing quality chapters, regardless of how long they are.

Please review!)


	4. Long Way Away From Home

(So I rewrote chapter four. Why?

I was having difficulty writing chapter five, and I was talking to my friend about it. She told me that, when she tried reading chapter four, she had a hard time — it "didn't seem to fit with the rest of the story thus far."

MY FRIEND IS A GENIUS. Because after rereading the old chapter four, I realized that I couldn't stand it. So this came about as the result. Hope you like it as much as I do!

Mokou © ZUN  
OCs © Me)

* * *

Impossibilities

Chapter Four: Long Way Away From Home

* * *

Mokou has driven herself past the point of exhaustion before, but never quite like this. For two days straight, she's walked down the mountain and through the forest; for two days straight, she's stopped for nothing — not food, not water, not even rest.

She doesn't understand how the sun can shine blue, or how it can shine through the purple canopy like there are no trees at all, but the blue light hurts her head.

_Keep going,_ the white-haired girl tells herself, rubbing tiredly at her bloodshot eyes. _Need to… get out of this forest…_

Somewhere along the way, Mokou has lost track of when the trees changed colors and shapes; they were so normal before, but have — somewhere in the last half-day or so — taken on such fantastic colors, such unnatural forms… Had she not known better, she'd call them humanoid in shape — but trees don't grow in the shapes of people, they just _don't_.

Trees don't talk, either, so she dismisses the voices she keeps hearing as well.

_Have to be almost there… Need to get… to Hourai…_

_"Is she alright?"_

_ "That girl…"_

Her arm jerks up suddenly; scowling, she smacks it back down, muttering angrily to herself. But she can't stop her fingers from wriggling uncontrollably, alternately digging into and jerking away from her arm.

_Have to… keep… going…_

She keeps saying this to herself, even as the already-distorted shapes around her start growing fuzzy and dim. But if she can keep going, even just a little further—

Mokou bumps into something that wasn't there just a moment ago — something that moves as she stumbles into it before holding its ground.

Whatever it is, it speaks in a harsh voice, spouting nonsense.

Mokou looks up slowly, and it suddenly grows quiet.

_"…kay? Are you okay?"_ it asks, its voice suddenly distant and distorted. _"Hello?"_

Mokou tilts her head, staring with unnaturally wide, sunken eyes.

_What… Who are…?_

After several long moments spent trying to speak, her legs suddenly give out from under her…

The last thing she sees is a human face before her world grows dark.

* * *

_"…her back, and we can barely even afford to feed ourselves?"_

_ "She passed out… …front of me… …else could I have done?"_

_ These voices… they're human, for sure. But they're so soft, almost ephemeral…_

_ Is she dreaming?_

_ "…understand that. But what do we do for her… …she wakes up? She'll need food for tonight, and…"_

_ "Well… hopefully, she won't have to stay long. We have enough for three people for tonight, don't we? For now, we'll just take care of her as best we can…"_

_ But… if she's dreaming, why are the voices becoming more real?_

_ "…need more water. Will you take care of that?"_

_ She feels a hand slip under her head, gently lifting her up._

_ "Nnh…"_

_ "Oh, she's awake._ Masaru, she's awake!"

Mokou has to struggle to open her eyes.

The first thing she sees is a woman's face looking down at her, traces of concern evident in her dark brown eyes. The second thing she notices is that she is no longer surrounded by trees — discolored or otherwise; rather, there are walls around her.

The third thing she sees is the bowl of water the woman is holding.

"Ah…" Mokou rasps, trying to form words that can't escape her parched throat. "Ah… W-Wa…"

Quickly, the woman brings the bowl to Mokou's lips; the white-haired girl chokes, struggling to swallow the water before finally succeeding.

"There," the woman murmurs, laying Mokou back down. "Are you feeling better?"

"Nh… I… think so," the white-haired girl mutters, still struggling to get her words out. "Where am I…?"

"Ah, she _is_ awake."

Mokou and the black-haired woman look towards the doorway to see a man standing there, looking at them both with stern black eyes.

Mokou can't quite figure out why his face seems vaguely familiar.

"How is she doing?" the man asks the woman, shifting his attention from the white-haired girl.

"Better," the woman responds, gently brushing Mokou's bangs away from her forehead. "But she's still very weak..."

"I'll be fine," Mokou protests, barely summoning the strength to sit herself up. "I'll be… Nngh…"

"You need to rest. Just lay back down—"

"I'm _fine!_" Mokou snaps, startling even herself with how loud she is. "…sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"It's alright," the man assures, stepping forward to stand by the woman. "We understand. But even so, you should get some more rest. You don't look much better than when you passed out in front of me…"

It takes a few moments for her to make the connections, but Mokou suddenly figures out why the man's face seems familiar.

"That was… you that I stumbled into?" she asks, feeling her face flush with embarrassment. "I— I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, sir…?"

"Tohei Masaru," the man finally introduces himself, putting a hand on the black-haired woman's shoulder. "And this is my wife, Miyako."

Mokou feels her gut churn a little when she hears that name; she can't tell if it's because of her memories associated with the name, or if it's just from going two days without food or water.

"Thank you for taking me in, Ma—Tohei-san," she quickly corrects herself, remembering that, since she's in this world, he is "older" than she is. "I… My name is Ikeda Teruyo. I've come from Suwa…"

_That's close enough to Gensokyo, isn't it?_ she asks herself.

"Suwa? Goodness, you've come so far by yourself," Miyako gasps, her hands flying to her mouth.

"I have?" Mokou asks, crossing her arms in front of her stomach. "Where am I?"

"You've come all the way to Yokosuka," Masaru informs, hiding his surprise better than his wife.

"Oh… That's — Yeah, I guess I have come a long way," the white-haired girl admits, bringing one hand up to her head. "I didn't think I'd make it so far without stopping…"

She's so busy being amazed at how far she's traveled already, she misses the look that Masaru shares with his wife.

"…Miyako, go get started on dinner," he orders quietly. "Make enough for three."

"Yes, of course."

"Eh?" Mokou begins, turning her head to see Miyako quickly leave the small room they're in. "No, you don't have to do that—"

"You walked down a mountain and halfway across Japan by yourself, apparently without stopping," Masaru interrupts, the stern look in his eyes from before softening. "You need food, and rest."

"No… I don't need anything more than a place to sleep," Mokou shakes her head. "Really, I don't. I'll be leaving early tomorrow morning anyways…"

"Where are you headed?" Masaru asks.

Mokou hesitates for a moment before deciding that the truth won't hurt in this case.

"Well, I… I'm trying to get to Mount Hourai."

For a few moments, they're both silent.

"You need something to eat," Masaru finally declares. "You haven't yet recovered from your walk down the mountain—"

"I'm not delirious!" Mokou growls, scowling. "It's why I left Suwa in the first place! What, you think I'd just leave my home — do you think I just decided to walk down a mountain on a whim?"

"…But why would one as young as you want to look for a mountain that doesn't even exist?"

At this, Mokou pauses.

"…It's… for my family," she finally concedes, looking down. "I can't explain it any further… But it's for them. I _have_ to get to Mount Hourai…"

For a few moments, they're both silent.

"…There is a port just a short walk north of here," Masaru finally says. "I've heard rumors of a group of men preparing to try and sail to Hourai. Perhaps you can convince them to bring them with you."

Mokou quickly looks up, surprised.

"…Thank you," she nods slowly, letting a grateful smile cross her face. "I'll do that tomorrow. You're very kind, to tell me that…"

"Not at all," Masaru shakes his head. "If you've come all the way from Suwa… Even if I think your task is impossible, the least I can do is point you in the right direction. But since I've told you this, I expect you to join my wife and me for dinner — I won't take 'no' for an answer."

Mokou's faint smile widens a little more as Masaru leaves.

_Thank you…_

* * *

It's been three hours since Masaru and Miyako went to bed, and Mokou is still sitting beside the fireplace.

_'I need to go to Hourai',_ she thinks to herself, imagining a potential conversation that she could have tomorrow.

'_Why?'_

_Um… 'Because I…'_

_Argh, I can't say that I'm fulfilling one of Kaguya's requests; they'll figure out that I'm not like them! I can't afford that. But what would be a good lie to replace it with?_

Scowling at herself, Mokou grabs the cup by her side, taking another drink of water from it.

_Well, what if I don't say why I want to go? …But then they'll _really_ have no reason to trust me. Then I'd probably have to find a way to Hourai by myself…_

The white-haired girl grimaces at the thought, slowly shaking her head to push the thought out of her mind. Instead, she turns her attention to the fire, which glows dimly.

After a moment's thought, Mokou reaches her hand towards the flames, flexing her fingers and concentrating.

The flames suddenly roar back to life; the immortal girl quickly slides back, shocked that her attempts to manipulate the fire actually worked.

_Okay… so I have that going for me,_ she finally tells herself as the flames die down to a reasonable-sized fire. _If I can do that, then…_

Hesitating briefly, Mokou scoots close to the fire again, quickly reaching into it and pulling her hand back before her sleeve can catch fire.

The small flame in her hand dances wildly, shifting shapes before taking the form of a tiny phoenix.

"What should I do?" the girl murmurs, holding the fiery bird with both hands. "I'm worried about tomorrow… What if I can't find someone to take me to Hourai? What do I do then?"

The phoenix looks up at the immortal girl, spreading its small wings; it nearly disappears into a puff of smoke before reforming in the palms of her hands.

"…yeah. I shouldn't worry about it," Mokou smiles, moving her hands close to the fireplace again to return the phoenix to the flames. "I'll get it to work out in the end, somehow."

A quiet, long yawn escapes her lips.

_I should go to bed,_ she tells herself. _Regardless of what happens, tomorrow is going to be a busy day…_

Even so, Mokou decides to sit in front of the fire a little longer, letting the comforting warmth flow over her.

* * *

(End chapter four.

Better? Yes? No? I'd really like your thoughts on it, but I found this revised version to be major improvement.

Please review!)


	5. Fortuitous Perseverance

(Aaargh, finally! It took way longer than I thought it would.

The border WAS created in 1885, for those interested enough to care; I may have anachronistic errors regarding Japanese culture, but I did my research for Gensokyo!

Mokou © ZUN

OCs © Me)

* * *

Impossibilities

Chapter Five: Fortuitous Perseverance

* * *

_"Why can't I go with? He promised I could go with him this time!"_

_ Mokou glares up at her mother, who has an exasperated expression on her face._

_ "Mokou, this isn't the time to be arguing," her mother orders, grabbing her daughter's small hand and pulling her away from the doorway, back into the house. "Your father has important things to do—"_

_ "No, he _promised!_" Mokou argues, trying to shake free of her mother's grasp. "He promised to take me to see the bamboo cutter's daughter, like he did my brothers! Why can't I see her too?"_

_ "Mokou—"_

_ "I want to go!"_

_ "Listen to your mother, Mokou!"_

_ She turns her head to see Keine scowling down at her, arms crossed in front of her chest._

_ "Keine…? What are you doing here?" Mokou asks, quickly approaching the were-hakutaku, ignoring that she's gone from being in her childhood home to back in the bamboo forest. "You're not supposed to be here! Go back home!"_

_ "No! Not until you give up on this foolishness!" Keine snaps, brown eyes flashing. "To go to Hourai — to take up Princess Kaguya's task… I won't let you do this! It's suicide, even for you!"_

_ "Dammit, Keine, I have to do this!"_

_ "Is revenge really worth it?"_

_ "You don't get it; it's more than that—"_

_ "Enough!" her mother interrupts, frowning. "Give up on this madness already and listen to us, Teruyo. You need to wake up from this madness…"_

_ "H…Huh?" Mokou blinks, shaking her head confusedly. "Wait, Teruyo? What…? That's not—"_

_ Her mother grasps her shoulder—_

Mokou's head snaps up, eyes opening wide.

"Wha—?"

"Oh!" Miyako gasps, quickly withdrawing her hand from Mokou's shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Quickly, Mokou looks around.

There is no forest, bamboo or otherwise; she is alone, aside from Miyako.

The fire in front of her still glows dimly.

_ What…? But… My mother — Keine? Where are they? They were just here…!_

Realization suddenly dawns on Mokou, and she closes her eyes.

_Just a dream…_

"Yes… Yes, I'm fine," Mokou sighs, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "I just had a strange dream, that's all… Agh, my back hurts. I didn't mean to fall asleep in front of the fire… What time is it?"

"Just after dawn," Miyako answers, helping Mokou stand up. "I'm about to start making breakfast…"

"Ah… Then I should get going. I want to find the people headed for Hourai…"

"Oh, no — please, stay for breakfast," Miyako urges, suddenly tightening her hold on Mokou's arm. "You need to eat something, at least…"

"I — I know. But I don't want to trouble you anymore than I already have," the white-haired girl replies, lightly prying herself free from the black-haired woman's grasp. "So thank you, but—"

"Well, I can't let you just _leave_… Hold on. Wait here."

Puzzled, Mokou watches as Miyako quickly leaves her by the fire, going back to her bedroom.

She comes back out a few moments later, holding some small coins in her hand.

"It's not much… Here. There's a market between here and the port. There should be people there even now—"

"No," the white-haired girl quickly shakes her head. "No, I can't—"

"You can, and you will," Miyako interrupts, pressing the money into Mokou's hands. "Please… just get yourself something to eat. Alright? It won't do if you pass out again…"

Mokou hesitates, a torn expression on her face.

"…thank you," she finally nods, taking the money and putting it in her pocket. "You don't have to do this…"

"But I am," Miyako smiles faintly.

"I'll be sure to get something to eat," Mokou promises. "Thank you."

"Good luck, Teruyo."

The white-haired girl barely hesitates at all before bowing, then quietly leaving the house.

* * *

She passes through the market without stopping.

She fully intends to get something to eat, she really does. But when the opportunity for an easy way to Hourai is right in front of her, how mad would she be to let that slip by? It isn't as though she has to really worry about food, anyways.

Even so, when she sees all the people already milling about the port, Mokou can't help but feel a little overwhelmed by her task. Thirteen hundred years of living may have taught her a lot, but starting conversations with complete strangers is still not one of her strong points.

_Well, you can't afford to be nervous anymore,_ the white-haired girl scolds herself. _The only way you're going to find the people going to Hourai is if you ask…_

_…still, I don't think that means I have to ask everyone, right?_

Only mildly ashamed by her own slight cowardice, she takes a deep breath before she begins walking down the harbor.

* * *

Two hours later, Mokou has seen well over half the port — and her legs hate her for it.

_Dammit,_ she cringes, feeling her left leg cramp yet again. _I knew this wasn't going to be easy, but I didn't think my own body would be working against me…_

Sighing, she decides to let herself rest for just a minute, sitting down on the edge of the pier with her back facing the water.

_I've covered over half the port already,_ the immortal girl thinks to herself, letting her hair hang over the edge of the pier. _But everyone's in the military, or just have no clue what I'm talking about. Not that I should have expected anything different, but still…_

Frowning, Mokou stretches her legs out, reaching for her toes.

_Are they even here? They might not be anymore — if they were at all. But I still have more people to ask…_

"That's a pretty strange place to be sitting, wouldn't you think?"

Mokou looks up to see a man looking down at her, an amused expression on his face.

"No stranger than anywhere else," she grumbles, going back to stretching her legs.

"I suppose," the man chuckles. "Still, might I ask what you're doing, sitting by my ship?"

Mokou takes a second to glance over her shoulder at the medium-sized ship behind her, its sails billowing gently in the wind, before looking back at the man.

"I was told that there was a ship here, with people trying to find Mount Hourai," she admits, shrugging her shoulders. "I've been looking for it since I got here a couple hours ago, but… I've spent the last few days walking here from Suwa. My legs are still sore, so I sat down to stretch them."

"Is that so?"

Mokou doesn't even bother speaking this time; she just nods in acknowledgement.

"Tell me then, why should I bring you with us?"

"Wha—?"

Mokou chokes on her words, and can only look up at the man with wide eyes to convey her shock.

_He's one of the men going to Hourai?_

"We've been preparing for our journey for almost a month now, after all," the man continues, hiding an amused smile as he witnesses Mokou's reaction. "Assuming you're telling the truth, I admire your perseverance, walking all the way down from Suwa — but we're leaving this afternoon. I don't think my men would be pleased with having to share an already-cramped space and limited food rations with a latecomer."

Mokou's shock is replaced by embarrassment.

She honestly hadn't thought of that.

"Well… Well, then," she finally begins, slowly standing up after taking a deep breath to calm herself. "If that's the case, then — then I'll just have to find my own way to Hourai, won't I? I should have expected this, but even so, I won't be stopped here—"

"Now hold on just a moment — I haven't said 'no' yet, have I?"

Mokou pauses, watching with cautious optimism as the man strokes his chin thoughtfully.

"I'm inclined to let you come with, if only because you've come so far already," he admits. "But I can't just let a freeloader aboard, you understand? So if there's any useful skill that you think would help on this journey, it may help convince me to bring you along."

The white-haired girl seriously doubts he's referring to knowing about her immortality, or control over fire. Even if he is, she won't share that information willingly.

But there is something that comes to her mind.

"I know all about Mount Hourai," she tells the man, now quite grateful that she stopped at Eientei before leaving. "I know what treasures are hidden there, and what creatures call it their home, and—"

"Do you, now?"

Mokou grows quiet as she watches the man nod his head slowly.

"I'm not lying," she adds quietly, as an afterthought. "I really do know…"

"I don't doubt that," the man assures. "I'll tell you what — most of my men aren't here yet; I want to discuss your joining us with them. Why don't you wander around the market for a while, get something to eat? Come back by… oh, say midday? We won't be leaving before then. But I won't wait for you after we're ready to leave, even if I _do_ decide to bring you with us."

"I—I won't make you wait at all," Mokou promises, unable to keep an elated grin off her face as she bows deeply. "Thank you so much, sir—?"

"Shou. Yamada Shou," the man finally introduces himself. "And please don't worry about formalities, miss…?"

"I-Ikeda Teruyo," Mokou replies, remembering that she has an assumed identity. "I'll be back, I swear it. Thank you so much!"

With another hasty bow, she hurries back towards the market, amazed by her good luck.

* * *

(End chapter five.

That… took longer than it should have. Much, much longer.

But here it is! And it was only taking so long because… well, to be honest, because I've been downloading Touhou music left and right.

Don't ask how many remixes of Mokou's theme I have.

Please review!)


	6. 55

(After a lovely adventure involving water and my computer, in which I lost my entire Pictures folder, I finally managed to work up the mental energy to finish this lovely little half-chapter!

Hey, if ZUN can have decimal places in his game titles, why can't I use them in my chapters?

Mokou, Reimu, Yukari © ZUN

Other people © Me)

* * *

Impossibilities

Chapter 5.5

* * *

_It really shouldn't be this difficult to find food…_

Now that she has things somewhat under control regarding Hourai, Mokou can afford to think about food. She's already wandered through the market once; much to her dismay, however, nothing that she's seen has really enticed her.

_First I go several days without eating, and then I become picky,_ she tells herself, unable to hide a faint smirk. _I don't think that's how it's supposed to work._

Her stomach growls loudly in agreement.

_Forget it. I remember seeing someone around here selling onigiri; I'll just pick some up—_

Mokou then notices the stall a short distance away.

She freezes when she sees what's on display.

_"What's the point of a trial of guts for people like you?"_

_ "Well, there are still some things that are kind of scary…"_

Her expression shifts from horror to repulsion to morbid curiosity, all in the span of the few seconds it takes her to walk closer to the stall.

"Can I help you, miss?" the vendor asks.

_No, no way…_

Mokou doesn't answer right away.

_"Like manjuu?"_

Mokou sees a box of the pastries on display, and feels her stomach churn a little from the memories of Yukari's and Reimu's discussion on the night they defeated her. Squirming a little, she shoves her hands deep into her pockets.

Her fingers brush against the money Miyako guilted her into taking that morning.

_"Yeah. Their shape reminds me of a giant insect's egg…"_

Her stomach growls loudly once again.

_Oh, don't be stupid,_ the white-haired girl scolds herself, frowning. _They're not insect eggs! I bet they're not even that disgusting…_

"Um, these ones here… how much are they?" she asks, pulling the coins out of her pocket. "How many can this get me?"

The vendor gives her one look before taking the money, then finding the lid for the box.

"They're all yours," is all the vendor says, closing the box and pushing it towards Mokou. "Take them."

"Oh, uh… Alright. Thank you…"

Not sure if she was just overcharged or not, Mokou decides that she doesn't really care; she just takes the box, quickly leaving the stall and finding somewhere to sit.

_They're not even proper _meal_ food — never mind the fact that they… never mind,_ the white-haired girl tells herself, hesitantly opening the box.

_"And the jelly inside… it reminds me of…"_

She takes one of the small pastries, examining it carefully before taking a bite.

Much to her pleasant surprise, it tastes not of spider guts, but of red bean paste.

_This is much better than I thought it would be,_ she smiles to herself, quickly eating the rest of the manjuu in her hand before taking another. _But I should probably save some for later…_

Despite saying that, when Mokou finally starts heading back towards the port, she only has one of the pastries left in her pocket.

* * *

(End chapter 5.5.

This was going to be at the end of chapter five. But when I started proofreading chapter five, I realized that this just made the chapter too long, and didn't really serve any purpose to chapter five…

But bonus content is always fun, and I didn't want to lose this!

For those that don't know: Onigiri are rice balls wrapped in seaweed. Manjuu is the actual name for the jelly doughnuts that Yukari talks about in Extra stage.

Please review!)


	7. Journey

(Hey, chapter six! Who didn't see this one around?

I apologize, but not really, for my multiple original characters. But don't worry — no Mary-Sues here! Or Gary Stus, as it were.

Mokou © ZUN

OCs © Me)

* * *

Impossibilities

Chapter Six: Journey

* * *

_"Are you crazy? We can't bring a woman on board, she'll bring bad luck!"_

_ Mokou didn't think she'd make it back to the ship in time to hear Shou arguing her case for her with what she assumes is the rest of the crew — five men and a young teen boy._

_ "She will _not_ bring bad luck, Takeshi," Shou retorts, scowling. "Don't be ridiculous!"_

_ "Yes, we can't have anyone being _ridiculous_," another man comments, sneering slightly. "Especially since we're sailing towards a mountain that doesn't even really exist—"_

_ "Not now, Masato!"_

_ "Is that her?"_

_ All eyes turn to Mokou, who suddenly feels her earlier paranoia returning._

_ "Yes, that's her," Shou nods, looking both relieved and nervous at the same time._

_ "She's… young," the bald man in the group comments._

_ "That may be, but I'm willing to bet I'm older than he is," Mokou snaps, indignant as she gestures to the teen boy hiding in the group. "And in any case, why should my age matter? And why is the fact that I'm a woman relevant to whether or not I can sail?"_

_ Silence falls over the small group._

_ "I don't like this," the first man mutters, looking uneasy. "I don't like this at all…"_

_ "You don't like _anything_ that doesn't conform to your expectations," the bald man groans. "But I'll say it again — I don't see why she should come with."_

_ "I don't see why not, either," another man nods, bearing a close resemblance to the cynical man._

_ "Hmph. I don't care," the cynical man, Masato, grumbles. "This whole trip is madness anyways; what difference will a woman make?"_

_ "That makes it more than half the crew… then it's decided," Shou nods, the worry finally disappearing from his face as he turns to face Mokou. "Welcome aboard, Teruyo."_

_ Even though she smiles, she still feels something uncomfortable settling in her stomach._

* * *

"How are you holding up?"

Mokou doesn't look away from the horizon, even as Shou approaches her.

It's been almost a week since they left Yokosuka; in the time she's been on the ship, Mokou has managed to grab three hours of sleep a day — if that — and has had less to eat than anyone else on the ship.

_Keine would be so proud of me, taking care of myself like this,_ she thinks dryly.

"I'm alright," she shrugs, reaching up to tuck a strand of her long hair behind her ear. "But I get the feeling that the superstitious man still doesn't seem to like that I'm here."

"Takeshi? Don't mind him," Shou waves his hand, as if dismissing Mokou's concern. "He's a good friend of mine and Ren's, but one of the most paranoid men I've ever met. He won't do anything to you."

The white-haired girl smiles at the assurance before looking up at the sky, frowning briefly.

"Looks like it's going to rain soon," she comments, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"It'll just be a light drizzle, if anything," Shou shakes his head. "I wouldn't be too worried about the weather."

"Mm. If you say so, then."

Mokou doesn't notice the thoughtful look Shou gives her.

"Have you been up here all day?" he suddenly asks, catching the immortal girl by surprise.

"Uh — I think so?" she answers, looking over at the captain. "Why?"

"Because I'm telling you to go take a break — get something to eat. And that's an order, too, so I won't take 'No, I'm fine' for an answer."

Mokou is about to protest, but decides against it.

"Alright," she nods. "I will. Do you need me to send someone else up to—?"

"Just send Kaede; he'll be all the help I need."

Mokou goes below deck just in time to miss the first few drops of rain.

* * *

"There's going to be a huge storm, I know it!"

"You really think a little rain like this is going to get much worse?"

They're all — minus Shou and Kaede, who are still on the deck — sitting in a large circle, listening to the light sound of rain hitting the deck over their heads.

"Just you watch, Ren!" Takeshi argues, pointing up. "You don't make light of the weather when you're at sea. We're all at its mercy!"

"Come on, it's been barely raining like this for over an hour now," Ren counters, arms crossed in front of his chest. "It would've become something worse by now."

"And besides, wouldn't we want a storm anyways?" the young teen, barely "older" than Mokou and whose name she can't remember hearing, pipes up. "I thought the only way to get to Mount Hourai was by a storm…"

"A storm that's powered by — by magic," Mokou finally adds, deciding at the last minute that large words like "supernatural phenomena" would not necessarily be better. "At least, that's what I've heard."

"Magic? Don't be ridiculous," Masato scoffs, his already natural scowl deepening. "What do they teach you children these days? There's no such thing as magic."

"That — I'm sorry, you _did_ just say there's no such thing as magic, right?" the white-haired girl repeats, blinking confusedly as she frowns.

"Coming from a man who's on a ship that's looking for a floating mountain in the sky_,_ that's a pretty ridiculous thing to be saying," Ren chuckles.

"Especially since _you're_ looking for an elixir that's supposed to grant immortality," the teen boy nods, grinning nervously. "You _did_ think about that, didn't you, Masato-san?"

"Hmph," Masato snorts, shifting his gaze back and forth between Mokou and the boy. "_I'm_ only here at my brother's request. If I'm going to be dragged along into this madness, I might as well have something to look for."

Mokou frowns, wrinkling her nose in displeasure at the man's attitude.

"But… _is_ Mount Hourai even floating?" Takeshi asks. "That would make it impossible to sail to, wouldn't it?"

"Unless magic is somehow involved, which is a discussion we won't get back into," Ren replies, quickly shooting a sharp glance at Masato and Mokou.

"But even if it isn't — it's possible to sail to, isn't it?" the teen boy speaks up again. "After all, the moon princess believed that Prince Kuramochi had brought her the real jeweled branch. That means it has to be possible, doesn't it?"

"Oh, so now we're taking a story for truth," Masato grumbles, both loud enough to be heard and soft enough to be ignored.

"Well, yes, but don't forget that he was also lying to her," Ren replies to the boy. "And she may have believed him at first, but she did so reluctantly."

"Who did what reluctantly, now?"

The four men turn their heads to see another man, bearing a remarkable resemblance to Masato, walking towards them, soaked to the bone.

"Is it really raining that badly, Kaede?" Takeshi asks, eyes widening slightly as his paranoia rears its head once more.

"No, it really isn't," the soaked man shakes his head. "You and Masato can see for yourself — the captain's asking for both of you to help."

"We're doomed," Takeshi groans, both he and Masato rising slowly.

"Thank goodness," Masato mutters before walking to the deck with his paranoid companion. "This nonsense is more along your speed, brother."

Kaede chuckles, taking a seat beside Ren.

"Sorry if my brother was being… curt," he apologizes to what remains of the group. "He can get like that sometimes, as I'm sure you've figured out. So, what did I miss?"

"Nothing much," Ren shakes his head. "We'd just gotten into a discussion of whether Mount Hourai is actually floating or not. So we started going over the trial of Prince Kuramochi for proof of whether or not it's floating…"

"Hey, are you alright, Teruyo-chan?"

For the first time in well over a minute, Mokou suddenly realizes that she's sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest, tightly gripping her legs.

The three men are now staring at her.

"Y-Yes. Sorry," she apologizes, uncrossing her arms and letting her legs rest crossed under her. "I didn't mean to zone out…"

"It looked less like spacing out and more like you were remembering something," Kaede comments.

The intent look he's giving her tells Mokou that, despite her reluctance to share _any_ of her memories of her father's task, this is an issue that won't be easily dropped.

But it won't stop her from trying.

"Really, it's nothing," she insists, keeping her voice as calm as she can. "I think I just… need to get some fresh air, is all."

"While it's raining?" Ren asks, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"There's nothing wrong with wanting to sit in the rain," the white-haired girl retorts, rising to her feet. "It's better than sitting cooped up down here."

Before they can ask her more questions, Mokou leaves, walking onto the deck in search of a moment of peace.

* * *

(End chapter six.

This would have gone much faster if I didn't have a cosplay to work on.

Please review!)


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